Hime no Tsukikage
by Grande Dutchess- Kouseki
Summary: Disclamer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters. AU A knight's mistake is recorded and left for his descendents to clean up. Will Ahiru be able to do it? Or will she allow the spell to take her? Please review!
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

**The Swan's curse**

There once was a knight who was respected by all. His prowess in battle was unmatched and many feared his stregth. But one day, his ruthlessness knew no bounds...

He killed a swan.

But this was no ordinary swan, it belonged to a witch of whom was well- known for her cruelty. And when the death of her beloved swan reached her ears, she sought revenge and placed a curse on the knight.

"_Thou anger which is blind..._"

"_Thy heart which is unkind..._"

"_I bind thee into the form of a swan..._"

"_When night falls until dawn..._"

"_But until this magic shatters and breaks..._"

"_The swan is the form you descendents shall take..._"

And just like that, the spell was cast but she neglected to tell the knight how to break it. For centuries untold, his descendents suffered for his mistake. But his story has been closed and another's is just beginning...


	2. Blooming White Carnation

**Chapter 1.**

**Blooming White Carnation- First Day**

The alarm sounded and she shot right up in bed. Large blue eyes widened as disheveled red bangs obscured her face, glancing to the clock she squeaked.

"I'm late! And on my first day too!"

She scrambled out of bed and raced to her closet, withdrawing her new middle school uniform. She shoved the one-piece gray and black dress on after she buttoned her undershirt and placed her socks on as well, good thing she'd taken a shower earlier in the morning when she'd gotten in. She shoved her shoes on and grabbed her backpack, stopping in the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Then she ran from her apartment, locking it behind her.

'_Late! Late! Late! LATE! I'M GONNA BE LATE!_' The mantra went on in her mind as she sprinted down the street to her new school. Long red hair trailed behind her in a braid as thin legs worked to bring her closer to her destination.

She went by the name of Ahiru, for at times she behaved like a duckling; clumsy and loud. But she housed a secret underneath her wings, a secret that most would consider quite odd.

At night... she transformed into a swan.

She didn't know why this curse was laid, nor did she seem to care. As long as she was cheerful, she could face anything with a smile. Right?

Ahiru skidded to a halt inside of the entrance hall just as the last bell rang. She moaned and hung her head, this was going to be a bad day... she could feel it.

'_At times like these... I wish I didn't live alone...,_" she thought, searching in her backpace for her schdule.

For as long as she could remember, she'd been alone, raised in an orphanage and later adopted by the owners of the apartment building that she now lived. But, she never let that get her down, her cheerfulness knew no bounds. A new school meant new friends, right?

Just as she grasped her schedule and pulled it out, someone barreled into her, knocking her into the nearby lockers. She squeaked and dropped her schedule to the floor as a gentle male voice sounded from above.

"Kouseki-neechan! Apologize to her, you knocked her down!" A male of about her age, with deep red shoulder-length hair and catlike ruby eyes called to a girl who stopped a few steps away and turned.

Her hair was also red just like the boy beside her and just as short. And that was when she realized that they were identical. Same nose, beauty mark beneath the left eye, height and the same tan. But the most noticable difference were the eyes; hers were not cat-like, not at all.

'_Twins... huh..._' Ahiru thought as the girl... Kouseki blushed a little, her tan masking most of it.

"Gomen, chibi-chan," she bowed and then directed the next bit to the boy beside Ahiru, "I'm going on ahead, Ryuu-chan!"

"Kouseki-!" he called, but the girl had already vanished around the corner. He sighed and helped Ahiru up, picking up her schedule as well, "here, sorry about that," then he bowed and followed after his sister at a hurried pace.

Ahiru only blinked, before she realized that that little encounter had made her even later.She squeaked and gathered her things before she ran off. This day just wasn't going her way!

( -.-) (-.- )

"Ahiru-san! I would exspect on your first day here you would be early. I will forgive you this time, but be warned: if you are late again..." here Neko-sensei paused, sweat beads becoming more pronounced on the fur of his face, "you will MARRY me!"

Said girl just blushed and stammered as the cat man started to lick himself. Was that normal teacher protocol? But she seemed to calm down when he allowed her in the classroom in order address the class.

"Minna-san, this new student; although late, is called Ahiru. Please make her feel welcome."

Here Ahiru felt her blush deepen as she bowed to the class, "Pleased to meet you all, I'm Ahiru. I hope you will accept me into your class."

There were murmers and Neko-sensei directed her to a seat between a purple haired girl with a bun and a pig-tailed blond. She took her seat and let out a sigh of relief. Not too bad, but that marriage comment...

"Psst... don't worry about what Neko-sensei said, he threatens all of the girls with that line," the girl with the bun whispered to her when the teacher had turned, "by the way, I'm Pique."

Ahiru turned large eyes on the girl next to her, voice barely a whisper, "really? But he seemed so serious..."

"Ah ha hah, how cute! She actually thought he was serious!" the pig-tailed blond laughed, blue eyes closed and hands clasped in delight.

Ahiru blushed and slumped in her chair. Already she'd made a mistake...

"Don't worry, Ahiru, Lilie's just playing, no need to get embarresed, "Pique chuckled, smiling, she's always like that, especially to pretty things."

Ahiru's face grew bright red and she looked down to her clasped hands, thinking, '_they're a little weird... but they're nice. I'm very lucky to have met them._'

Her blush dimmed and she allowed a small smile to touch her lips. This she decided was a wonderful day.

( -.-) (-.- )

The bell rang and she was surprised at how fast everyone went into the hallway. Pique and Lilie lingered just long enough to wave her over as she packed her things up. And by the time she got there, there was a huge crowd congregating around something in the middle of the hall.

"What's going on?" Ahiru asked, pointing to the crowd as he long red braid swayed to the side.

"Oh, Fakir, Mytho, and Rue-senpai are coming!" Pique said, blushing lightly.

Ahiru was just confused.

"Here, I'll show you," with that, Lilie pushed the girl into the middle of the hall.

She stumbled and almost fell when hands grasped her waist as she collided with something firm and warm. It was then that she noticed that the hall had fallen completely silent and that the hands had still not removed themselves. She looked up and blue met golden hazel-

-And she was lost.

Wilting White Carnation- The first Day- End.

Next Flower- Gladioluss

_She was an out cast._

_No-one could love a swan._

_"I came to give you a warning, girl."_

The White Carnation is a good luck gift for a woman.


	3. Blooming Gladioluss

**Chapter 2.**

Blooming Gladiolus- Mytho 

Time seemed to stop as those eyes bore into her own, she couldn't move, couldn't think… couldn't breathe. They were just so mesmerizing…

Her limbs refused to heed the signals that her brain sent them, and she couldn't help but wonder if she was paralyzed. But that didn't make sense, how was she unable to act from just a glance? She didn't know, all that was important at the moment was the face in front of hers with lips so pale that they could pass for cotton candy. And only when she saw those soft pale lips move did she blink.

"Huh?"

Yes, that was a brilliant response on her part, after all, she was Ahiru.

"I asked… 'Are you okay'?" he repeated, soft voice making her shiver ever so lightly. His voice was well suited to his looks, she decided. And that was when she noticed that his hands were still upon her and she blushed, face as red as her hair.

They were very warm she noticed, his body heat easily seeping though the fabric of her clothing.

"Y-yes," here she started to back away and he seemed to realize that his hands were still around her waist and let her go, a light blush dusting his own pale cheeks. But she took no notice and instead ran down the hall as soon as the warmth left her, Pique and Lilie trailing close behind.

Eyes bore into her back and she wished she was within his warm embrace once more.

( -.-) (-.- )

"Mytho-sempai blushed!"

"Did you see?"

"I saw! I saw!"

Her ears were assaulted by many voices, but at the moment she just couldn't handle it. She was too hot… but she wasn't sick…

Ahiru took shelter in the nearest girl's bathroom and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. The boy with eyes as clear as glass. A face so beautiful he could be easily mistaken for a girl. And hair as white as freshly fallen snow… This was Mytho-sempai…?

Now she understood why the school fussed over the boy so much… he was gorgeous…

The bathroom door banged open and she jumped as Pique and Lilie entered unceremoniously, faces flushed from the chase through the halls. For a freshman the girl could run, they were already tired…!

"Jeez, Ahiru! You can't just run off without a word after you grope Mytho-senpai! That's very rude!" Pique teased when her breathing returned to normal.

"Wait… what? I didn't mean…!" she floundered for a moment before Lilie cut in, stars in her eyes.

"Aw she's so flustered! How cute!" Lilie cooed, face gleaming with glee, as Ahiru made a face.

"That wasn't nice, Lilie!" She tried to argue, but for some reason found it very hard to do so at the moment. She couldn't muster the anger and she didn't know why-

She thought about it for a moment and blushed lightly.

'_Mytho…_'

"Aw… but it was so cute!" she insisted, smile bright and cheery as the red- head frowned.

"Okay I'll admit Mytho-sempai is good looking," Pique began, finger pointed up as if to prove a point, "but Fakir-sempai is way better."

Ahiru blinked, "Fakir-sempai?"

Who was this Fakir-senpai that continued to be mentioned? Had he been present? Surely no one holds a candle to Mytho-senpai?

Again the blush came unbidden to her cheeks.

Pique only stared blankly at the girl before she began her Fakir- based tangent. It wasn't wise to not know who Fakir was and let a Fakir fan-club member know of your "treason" as they called it.

"Beautiful raven-colored hair (usually in a ponytail) glistens softly atop his handsome head and falls just to below his shoulders. Steely green eyes seem to bore into your very soul and paralyze you completely when he looks at you. And standing at a height of 5'5, he seems to tower over you… in a dominating sort of way… he's beautiful at 17 years of age…" Pique finished with a dreamy sigh, her thoughts obviously on this "Fakir".

Ahiru thought about it and shrugged, he seemed kinda… scary in her opinion. And she told Pique so.

"Only those who can't understand him think that way!" the girl told her matter-of-factly, anger making itself known yet again.

Ahiru just placed her hands in front of her and laughed lightly in apology. But what she had said was true, she didn't understand him at all. She didn't understand this school, or anyone in it. And that was when she remembered-

-She was an outcast.

In more ways than one.

She looked away then, red hair obscuring her eyes. Who was she to judge a person she didn't even know? That was rude of her and she knew it, but she couldn't help it, she was very open in her opinions.

"Ahiru what's wrong?" Pique asked, concern lacing her tone, "if it's about what I said, I didn't mean to say it so harshly. I just get really worked up when I talk about Fakir-sempai."

She just shook her head lightly and looked up, a weak smile upon her countenance.

"Nothing's wrong… but shouldn't we get going? Class is gonna start soon…" she trailed off, blue eyes down cast.

Pique and Lilie just looked at her, and as if on cue, the bell rang, jarring them all back into action. All three rushed to their next class, of which they did not share.

( -.-) (-.- )

"That's the girl who hugged Mytho-senpai…"

"Really?"

"And she's just a freshman!"

"You're kidding…"

Ahiru tried to focus on her work, but the whispers of what had happened earlier today kept entering her awareness, and she didn't like them one bit.

'_It wasn't like I meant it to happen…_' Ahiru brooded. Pressing much harder on the pencil than was needed, '_I didn't even know who he was, let alone how good looking he is…!_'

Ahiru paused as his visage floated in the foremost reaches of her mind, his amber-hazel eyes beckoning her to drown within them. And she gladly would if given the chance.

'_My heart is pounding and I feel hot…_' she thought, trying her hardest to ignore what was said about and around her as she scribbled down her notes from the board and into the notebook.

But she didn't have a fever… and the temperature outside wasn't that high… But she didn't understand… was someone mad at her?

'_Well… there's Pique… although she says she's not. I need to apologize when I see her next time, hopefully today,_' she thought as she paused to copy some more notes down, '_and then there's Mytho-senpai…_'

She frowned and felt her heart skip a beat. But… if Mytho hated her…

She didn't want to think about it.

'_I just hope I don't see Mytho-senpai anytime soon… I'm sure he thinks I'm such a klutz…_' here she paused in her thoughts, a light blush dusting her cheeks, '_although I would love to…_'

She shook her head and realized where her thoughts were leading. In all of her years of being alive she'd never felt this way… Was this what they called love…?

'_But…_' Ahiru thought as she resumed her writing, '_there'll be a problem if he doesn't accept me… both of me…_'

Because no one can love a swan.

A bitter smile lit her lips as she stared as her paper. Sometimes… life just wasn't fair.

( -.-) (-.- )

She hadn't seen hide nor hair of either of the two girls all day. They hadn't been in lunch nor had they been in any of her remaining classes. She pulled a face, this was bad, she hadn't thought that this school was that big…

But on the other hand… it was also good. She didn't see Mytho again all day. But… that also made her heart clench almost painfully. She wanted to see him and yet she didn't. It hurt so much… it felt as though her heart was splitting in two…

And yet… she didn't want this feeling to leave.

Ahiru, lost in her thoughts, failed to notice the figure walking up to her until it was too late. A hand collided with the metal of the locker behind her heavily, the sound of the contact echoed through the near empty halls and made her and the few remaining students jump. The others turned and she looked up to see just what had made that noise.

"Hey is that…?"

"Yeah… I think it is…"

"But why-?"

"Shh… I wanna hear!"

"Um…?" she whispered, looking into a fairly handsome face before she found herself unable to move. It was almost like Mytho… but this time it was different… this time she just wanted to shrink away instead of getting ever closer to his body.

And besides… his body language was so cold… it was as if he were ice.

"I came to give you a warning, girl," he muttered, dark green eyes narrowed in anger as he took in the redhead's confusion with unrestrained annoyance.

And when she looked into his eyes… she was lost again.

But not in a good way.

Wilting Gladioluss- Mytho- End

Next flower: _Orleander._

_And plus… it was nearing nighttime._

"_A swan… never seen one around here…"_

"Thank you for hearing me out…" 

Gladioluss means Love at First Sight.


	4. Blooming Orleander

**Chapter 3.**

**Blooming Orleander- Sir Knight**

Deep green eyes partially hidden beneath raven bangs looked to her with all the warmth of a corpse. His hair was drawn back into a loose ponytail that allowed his hair to fall down his back easily. With ice-like beauty, he rivaled Mytho's warm, but quiet personality. He seemed untouchable by normal means and if he did touch you…

His ice would burn.

And now she understood why Pique and anonymous others seemed to like Fakir-senpai. Even with a scowl, he was still quite handsome, and Ahiru felt her breath hitch as his face drew closer.

'_Wha…? Is he trying to kiss me?_' she thought frantically as he paused just inches away from her skin, slipping instead to the side, his smooth voice whispering harsh words within her ear in contrast.

"Stay away from Mytho first year. Or you may just find out… how scary I can be…" he whispered, deep voice causing her to shiver.

'_Why…? What did I do?'_ she wanted to ask, but her lips refused to move as he moved away, his arrogant posture making it seem as though he were better than her. And in some ways…

He was.

He watched with a small smirk as she crumpled to the floor, her legs giving way as she collapsed. Maybe it was a little harsh to bully a freshman on their first day, but she had irritated him, he didn't know why…

She was just annoying, that was what he reasoned, and that was what he believed.

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other, girl. Have a nice day."

She watched his feet move away with wide eyes, the white school issued shoes clacking softly against the tiled floors. The other students still crowded within the halls dared not utter a word while he was still within earshot, it wasn't wise to anger the captain of the Kendo club and they knew it. She looked up only as his feet disappeared around the corner and decided she was right about him.

He was scary.

After a few moments of shock, she found that she could move, getting unsteadily to her feet amongst the whispers of her peers. Did he do that to other people who seemed to get too close to Mytho-senpai? And it made her wonder…

Just what was their relationship?

"_Wow… Fakir-senpai seemed pretty angry. Just what did that girl do to him?"_

"_Was it a past lover?"_

"_No, you idiot! Fakir's never been in love before!"_

"_Well, whatever it was… I'm sure it had to do with Mytho-senpai."_

_"Mytho… yeah… he never gets this angry though…"_

"_Yeah… it's strange…"_

_"You're telling me! There was this one time…"_

Ahiru blinked, as her eyes began to burn. So there _was_ something… she just didn't know what it was. What could make a person act so… protective of a single person?

"…_I'm sure it had to do with Mytho-senpai."_

She shook her head and opened her locker, trying to shake the thought loose from her mind, and grabbed her bag, eyes unfocused and downcast as she walked out of the school door, no longer worried about apologizing to Pique. She had already made an enemy (a scary enemy)…. And on her first day too! This was really turning into a bad day.

And plus… she didn't have much daylight left. How she hated the shorter days when school started.

Maybe she should just give up on liking Mytho-senpai… Her condition wouldn't allow it anyway… And others like Fakir-senpai would begin to threaten her, though she doubted they would be as threatening… She looked to the sky then, forlorn blue eyes watching the clouds pass as her long hair lifted gently in the wind.

A few tears trailed down her cheeks as her chest constricted painfully.

But… her heart wouldn't allow her to stop loving even if she told it to. Love was like that. It was impossible to choose who you fell in love with and who you wanted to fall out of love with. It was stressful and she wouldn't dwell on it any longer! She wasn't the type to brood over little things like that, she hated being occupied like that.

"And plus…" she murmured to herself, "If I never try… I'll never know what could have happened," here she smiled, "Ah! I need to hurry home! I need to finish my homework and eat before it gets dark!" and then she ran, smile back and hair trailing behind her like a long orange streamer.

The birds twittered merrily in the afternoon sun.

( -.-) (-.- )

She'd done this many a time before, so leaving without being seen by her neighbors and adoptive parents before sunset was never a problem. With a robe tied tightly around her midriff, she ran through the forest as the dying sun cast a golden hue on her skin. She reached the edge of the woods as the sun set and her transformation took place.

White feathers bloomed everywhere there was skin, hiding the peach colored flesh as her body shrank. Her neck elongated and her arms transformed into large white wings. Her face morphed into the small head of a swan, complete with the black markings behind the short beak. The transformation didn't hurt, and she was used to it since it had been happening since she could remember. But… the disorientation was something she could do without.

A beautiful white swan sat within the bundle of her robe where she had just stood mere seconds ago, feathers puffing up against the cool wind of the early evening. When the disorientation passed, she stood on her spindly legs and moved through the forest at a content waddle. Where she had transformed was well hidden by foliage so she didn't have to worry about anyone except curious forest animals finding her clothing.

'_Everything looks so different in this form…,_' she thought as she squeezed her way under a large tree root, '_Not the scary different… just the cool different. I wonder how the lake will look? Just as pretty?_'

When she had first moved here, the first thing she took care of was finding a nice secluded body of water of which she was currently headed to. It was in the direct center of the forest and just perfect for her.

She came to the bank of the lake a few minutes into walking (er… waddling) and gave a small honk of glee. Without further ado, she walked into the water and kicked her legs at a steady pace, the force propelling her slowly toward the center of the lake. When she was a safe enough distance in, she began cleaning herself with the water, gently guiding the tiny glistening beads through her waterproof feathers.

Nothing like an evening bath.

When she was satisfied with her state of cleanliness, she looked up, taking in the sight of everything from the place at the center of the lake. Only when she looked at the far bank, opposite of the one she entered from did she freeze, taking in the familiar features of the person standing there staring at her.

"A swan… never seen one around here…"

Forest green eyes bored into her with the curiosity of a small child. His raven colored hair was loose from its ponytail and framed his handsome face perfectly. And…

Was that a smile on his lips?

'_Fakir… senpai…? What's he doing here?!_' Ahiru thought frantically, feathers puffing up as she kept her eyes trained on the boy before her.

"Hey…" he called, kneeling on his hands and knees as he reached out a hand to splash around in the lake water a bit to get her attention, "come here…?"

She moved her wings as though she was about to take flight, and instead honked a little. Was she sure this was the same boy she'd met in school? He did have the same mannerisms as far as she could tell, but there was no way in Hell that he could be that nice! But on the other hand…

She was a swan.

'_Calm down Ahiru… he doesn't know it's you…_' she reasoned with herself, drifting a little closer but staying well out of reach.

He pushed some hair out of his eyes and continued splashing in the water, albeit gently so as not to frighten her, "I won't hurt you," he whispered softly, the deep and comforting tone of his voice making a comfortable heat move towards her cheeks.

His dark eyes glinted softly in the starlight, making them shine just the right way to entrance her into moving ever closer to him. It was almost scary how human his eyes looked compared to earlier… she couldn't help wanting to continue staring into them, it was an addiction that she wasn't ready to admit. His looks really didn't help either, the deep emerald green of his eyes brought out the tan of his skin that seemed to be eclipsed by the darkness of his hair, it was beautiful…

…He was beautiful.

But nowhere near as wonderful as Mytho.

She'd allowed herself to come into arms reach and looked up into his unguarded face, waiting… waiting for something. She cocked her head a little as he stopped the splashing all in favor of a content smile complete with a calm stare. He looked… far happier than he had in school. Maybe he'd been having a bad day?

Her thoughts were silenced by the feeling of warm pliant fingers atop her feathered crown. She blinked as they moved gently to and fro in a petting motion. There was a moment when she took the time to digest this.

Petting? She could deal with that.

Fakir? She didn't know what to say to that.

Fakir petting her head as though she were a beloved pet? She was speechless.

"See? I told you I wouldn't hurt you…" he whispered, so as not to scare her as he continued his ministrations, "although… I was surprised to see you here. You see, this is where I write, it's very peaceful here. Don't you agree?"

She merely looked at him.

"Yeah… I also practice fencing here at times too, the silence helps me concentrate…" he continued, his face pleasant, "and it helps me… calm down."

She blinked, relaxing into his touch a little, '_so he was having a bad day…_'

"It's just… sometimes I can't control my anger… My grandfather- that crazy old man- tells me to write it all out instead of talking it out with someone. He trusts pen and paper more than he does living things, "here Fakir paused, looking over to the side in remembrance, loose raven strands lifting lazily in the breeze, "… it works sometimes, but today, when that freshman latched onto Mytho…"

Here Ahiru blanched, eyes averted anywhere but Fakir as his lithe fingers tightened a little upon her head.

"I just lost it, Mytho is nice to everyone and I… I hate it when people take advantage of his kindness," Fakir's fingers loosened and he sighed, giving a final pat on her head before standing.

'_He thought I was taking advantage of Mytho-senpai…? I'd never do such a thing! Mytho-senpai is… too beautiful to be used like that…_' Ahiru thought as Fakir turned to leave.

"Thank you for hearing me out, swan. Maybe I'll see you around another day," he said as he walked out of the clearing and into the forest, opposite of where she had entered.

She watched him go before she turned and made her way back into deeper water.

'_So… that's what he thought of me?_' Ahiru thought as she drifted slowly to the center of the lake, '_That's mean! Lumping me in with all those other girls before even getting to know me!_'

Here her feathers fluffed up in indignation, and she snapped her bill sharply. Then after a few moments, she allowed herself to calm down as she placed her head beneath a wing to allow herself sleep.

'_I'll show him I'm not one of those crazy girls he always seems to find!_' she thought as sleep started to tug at her senses, '_Yeah…. I'll show him…! I'll show him just how…. nice… I am…_'

And she fell asleep, pearly white feathers contrasting nicely against the inky black of the lake.

Wilting Orleader- Sir Knight- End

Next Flower: _Bird of Paradise_

_Was she really that easy to read?_

"_Ah! Chibi-chan! Come to audition?"_

_The auditorium was silent after that._

Orleander means: caution, beware


End file.
